SAMARINDA, 02 August 2007 - The East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) is exploring the possibilities of making parts of the Mahakam river into a conservation area to protect the Irrawaddy dolpins (orcaella brevirostris) against extinction according to an official.

"A part of Mahakam river is subject to implementation of a conservation regulation. The river will be free of fishing nets. Boats that pass through the river should move at low speed. Fishing nets and ship propellers have killed many dolphins in the past few years," said the leader of the BKSDA in East Kalimantan, Ivan Susfi Noor on Thursday.

The conservation area would be in the subdistrict Muara Kaman in the district of Kutai Kertanegara. In the past, BKSDA has set up similar conservation areas fo porpoises in the subdistrict of Muara Pahu in Kutai Barat. "So, the project would extend the conservation area from Muara Pahau to Muara Kaman," Ivan said. The project would be set up with the help of the Indonesian Rare Aquati Species Conservation Foundation (RASI).

In a study conducted in 2006, RASI found that the population of endangered mammals has been reduced to only 70 and that every year four dolphins died. The dolphins are only found in the Mahakam, Mekong (Vietnam) and Irrawaddy (Myanmar) rivers.

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